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Lobsters are crustaceans with shells and ten legs, with an outer skeleton similar to shrimps and crabs. They are mostly found in cold and rocky waters across the Atlantic. While most people know lobster as a specialty food or a form of delicacy in most seafood dishes, some describe the crustaceans as high-cholesterol foods that may be risky to one’s health.
However, not a lot of people know of the many benefits of lobster nutrition, especially for the skin. Packed with various vitamins and minerals for a healthy skin, lobster is more than a delicious seafood.
In this article, we will find out more about the nutritional value of lobster and how it can benefit your skin. You will also find reviews on the downsides of eating lobster and how to prepare it on your own.
Lobster Nutrition Facts
There are some lobster nutrition facts and values you must know to guide you through its consumption. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Nutrient Database, a cup of well-cooked lobster weighing approximately 145 grams contains:
- 129 calories
- 0 g of carbohydrate
- 1.25 g of fat
- 27.55 g of protein
The same portion of lobster will also give you:
- 3 percent of vitamin A in a day
- 9 percent of calcium
- 3 percent of iron
Lobster contains a rich amount of copper and selenium, along with zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, vitamin B12, and vitamin E. While copper is usually involved in DNA production, selenium is an anticancer agent that fights against chronic degenerative diseases.
Omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA, are compounds responsible for protecting the heart and reducing blood cholesterol levels. They are found in very few foods, including fish and shellfish like lobster. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that we consume at least 250 mg of EPA and DHA in a day.
Lobster also contains cholesterol. While the prevailing advice is to be wary, some research has revealed that not all cholesterol in foods is damaging to the body and that saturated fat consumption is directly associated with a rise in dangerous cholesterol levels.
The good news is that polyunsaturated fats can reduce cholesterol levels and the risk of stroke and heart disease. Some studies also found that eating more fish and shellfish reduces the risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease while reducing cholesterol levels.
Lobsters may not have a high amount of fatty acid compared to other fish and shellfish, but they are still a great source of these nutrients.
How Does Lobster Compare with Other Crustaceans?
Various crustaceans, like crabs, crayfish, and lobster, have similar nutritional values. For this reason, we have created a table comparing the nutritional content of a cup serving of lobster, shrimp, crab, and crayfish.
Calories | Protein (grams) | Fats (grams) | Cholesterol | Omega 3 fatty acids (EPA/DHA) (mg) | |
Lobster | 128 | 27 | 12 | 70% of the DV | 280 |
Shrimp | 307 | 22 | 16.8 | 71% of the DV | 186 |
Crab | 97 | 21 | 0.8 | 62% of the DV | 197 |
Crayfish | 113 | 23.3 | 1.7 | 38% of the DV | 231 |
From this table, you will notice a few trends:
- Lobster provides higher protein levels per serving. However, it doesn’t mean that other crustaceans are not rich in protein.
- Shrimp’s fat content is significantly higher than that of others. This is why consuming shrimp is assumed to increase one’s calorie count.
- Shrimp and lobster have the same cholesterol content, while crayfish and crab provide lower amounts.
- All crustaceans in this table are rich in omega-3 fatty acids like EPA and DHA, but shrimp, crayfish, and crab provide lower amounts than lobster.
How Is Lobster Good for Your Skin?
Your skin’s natural glow is affected more by what you eat than by what you apply directly to it. Adding small portions of lobster meat to your diet can have a major positive impact on your skin health, but you can also see results from using lobster cream for skin in the right way.
Lobster is packed with antioxidants like selenium and vitamin E, which have proven to be useful in fighting free radicals and reducing skin cell damage.
The presence of copper in lobster helps to clear fine lines and wrinkles, leaving you with younger-looking skin. We have its collagen-boosting effects to thank, as it makes skin tighter and bouncier with better elasticity.
In addition to its anti-oxidant properties, lobster is also a great source of omega-3 fatty acids. These nutrients protect the skin from UV-induced damage by reducing inflammation and boosting the skin’s natural defense mechanisms.
This crustacean is also a rich source of protein, which is great for keeping healthy-looking skin. Its protein content helps to replace skin cells when the outer layer is damaged and reduces age-related diseases such as arthritis and vision deterioration.
Lobster is also low in fat and calories, which makes it a healthier replacement option for protein sources like beef or pork. A regular intake of lobster can promote supple and youthful skin without you having to worry about high-calorie levels.
Other Health Benefits of Lobster Nutrition
Strengthens Your Nails
Lobsters are packed with zinc, which is known for keeping your nails healthy. Anyone with a low intake of zinc is likely to experience weak nails, increasing the risk of possible nail infections. Adding lobster to your diet can improve healthy nail growth and strengthen your nails by boosting the absorption of nutrients into the body.
In addition to zinc, protein is an essential nutrient for nail health that works by building and repairing tissues. Without enough protein, your nails can become weak and may easily break.
While lobster is great for your nail health, it is important to consume it in moderation. Lobster is well known to be high in cholesterol and sodium, which harm your overall health when present in excess. For this reason, it is advisable to eat lobster once or twice a week for a balance in lobster nutrition.
Boosts Healthy Hair Growth
The high protein content in lobsters can promote healthy hair growth, as it helps to strengthen the hair follicles. Lobster also contains iron, which keeps your hair strong and healthy and prevents hair loss.
In addition to the nutrients above, lobster contains omega-3 fatty acids that maintain a balanced hair growth cycle, inducing more robust hair growth.
Improves Immune Function
According to research, the zinc in lobster is a mineral that is necessary for the functioning of your immune system. Even the slightest zinc deficiency reduces any chance of white blood cell development, which can depress immune responses.
In cases of low zinc levels, infection and pneumonia rates increase. Luckily, a cup of lobster serving contains over 6 milligrams of zinc, which accounts for 67% of the zinc portion for women and 56% for men in a day.
Helps Maintain a Healthy Pregnancy
Lobster is a great source of choline. Human research showed that pregnant women who consume the right amount of choline during pregnancy boosted the baby’s memory performance as they grew.
This is a great dietary choice to help develop your baby’s cognitive development and ability to sustain a good memory. The right dose to take during your second trimester of pregnancy is 70.3 milligrams of choline, and a cup of lobster contains 26% of choline.
Helps in Thyroid Function
Selenium has properties that make it a perfect component for proper thyroid function. This compound serves as an antioxidant and helps the thyroid absorb and activate hormones.
Analysis showed that patients with thyroid diseases who lack selenium benefit from increasing their selenium intake. Such benefits include overall wellness, mood, and proper thyroid function.
Promotes Brain and Mental Health
Eating lobster is a great way to boost your iron levels, which is essential in people with anaemia. This medical condition can cause or result from low blood iron levels. Lobster contains copper, which can help increase your blood iron levels, as it can help your body make red blood cells.
Is Cholesterol from Lobster Bad for You?
Although there are several lobster nutrition benefits to enjoy, some people believe lobster’s cholesterol levels may pose a threat to one’s health. Lobster does contain a relatively high amount of cholesterol, but it may not pose any health concerns. Some research showed that cholesterol from certain foods, like lobster, is not associated with any heart disease risk.
Saturated fat is a major thing to look out for if you want to manage your cholesterol levels and risk of heart disease. Lobster does not have saturated fat but is rich in polyunsaturated fats. A high-saturated fat diet is known to raise overall cholesterol levels while also negatively moving the balance between good HDL and bad LDL cholesterol. For this reason, the current dietary guidelines recommend reducing saturated fat intake to 10% or less of total calories in a day.
Your body can regulate its cholesterol production depending on how much cholesterol you eat. More research is ongoing to accurately bring relief to some of the concerns in the hearts of many.
Potential Dangers
No matter the many benefits of lobster nutrition, there are also potential dangers you need to consider when buying or eating lobsters.
Likely to Decay
Lobster is a perishable food and will require you to preserve or prepare it with care to avoid bacterial contamination, as poor handling could cause foodborne illnesses. However, the chances of getting a foodborne illness from eating raw or poorly prepared lobster are higher.
Some of the common disease-causing bacteria linked to contaminated or raw seafood are Vibrio species, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella species, and Shigella species.
Symptoms you may experience with contaminated seafood include vomiting, diarrhea, fever, nausea, stomach cramps, and headaches. So, it is advisable to pay close attention to the seafood you eat and how to prepare it.
Heavy Metal Contamination
Lobsters and other shellfish can be contaminated with heavy metals like lead, mercury, arsenic, and cadmium because of water pollution. Consuming these heavy metals in seafood may pose a risk to your health, which includes brain and kidney damage and heart abnormalities in babies.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classifies lobster as a low-mercury food and declares it safe to eat once or twice a week. However, pregnant or breastfeeding women and children may be more sensitive to the effects of heavy metals and should take more care with their consumption.
Causes Allergies
Crustaceans, like lobster, are some of the most common food allergens. The symptoms of an allergic reaction when eating lobsters may be mild or severe. In some cases, they may be life-threatening, narrowing the airways to the point where it is difficult to breathe.
If you are allergic to lobster, you may also be allergic to crustaceans and shellfish like oysters, clams, scallops, and mussels. To prevent these allergies, you will want to avoid the allergen because there is no known cure for seafood allergies. It is always best to get emergency treatment if you contact an allergen.
How to Prepare Your Lobster
Lobster is a well-known seafood delicacy. It has a tender texture and mild flavor that can be paired well with various dishes across the world. You can prepare lobsters by gently steaming or boiling them. They also come in cut pieces and are added to frozen or commercially processed food products.
There are ways to prepare and cook your lobsters to sustain their healthy nature and gradually increase their calorie and fat content. For example, you could fry or mix the lobster with mayonnaise or butter to improve its fat content.
Frequently Asked Questions
Lobsters are safe to consume, although they have a terrible reputation for raising cholesterol levels, which is incorrect. There may be no safe way to consume lobster, however we should avoid eating the tomalley found in the lobster’s body cavity. This is because shellfish, such as lobsters, do not accumulate poisons in their digestive tracts.
Marin lobster is a seafood staple and an important ingredient in the recipes for a new Maine skincare brand. The skincare manufacturers explore with a protein found in lobster bodies and combine it with lotion ingredients to create a skin moisturizer.
Glycoproteins have moisturizing properties that help hydrate and nourish your skin. These compounds play major roles in skincare formulations.
Just wondering if cooking methods alter the health benefits of lobster? Especially curious about steaming vs. boiling.
Great question! I’ve always thought grilling might lock in more flavor and maybe even nutrients?
Really appreciate how lobster fits into a keto diet! Low carb, high protein is the way to go.
Lobster is just overpriced seafood. Change my mind.
Intrigued by the section on how lobster can benefit skin health. Never would have guessed seafood played a role in that.
Right? It’s all about those omega-3s and antioxidants. Seafood’s a hidden beauty gem!
Anyone have any unique recipes for lobster? Getting tired of the usual boil and butter.
Bet nobody thinks about the impact of lobster fishing on the ocean. Just saying.
It’s fascinating that lobster can help with thyroid function—important for metabolism and energy!
Nothing beats the taste of fresh lobster. It’s interesting to learn it’s not just delicious but also packed with health benefits.
Has anyone experienced allergies with lobster? Wondering how common that is.
Yeah, shellfish allergies are pretty common, unfortunately. Always gotta check before trying.
Lobster’s protein content is awesome for muscle repair after a workout. Plus, it’s delicious.